INGENIEUR
Figure 12 : View of pool and grass area at the lower rooftop in 1987
They were generally installed on both sides of all internal columns of the building . After 20 years , the majority of the narrow rainwater downpipes became clogged and ineffective . Rainwater frequently back flowed into the building and caused damage to the existing finishes . Repairs were done and a few of the rainwater downpipes managed to be revived whilst others , which were badly clogged , were sealed and drainage diverted to the perimeter of the roof .
Repair to Roof Pool System Over the years , frequent leakages seem to occur even after waterproofing works were done on the roof in the water pool areas . There were instances when water leaked in from the roof slab , flooding the Dewan Rakyat and corridors of the building . This resulted in a temporarily closure of the pool system and replacing it with earth and grass . Efforts to revive the roof pool system failed again even after re-waterproofing and re-tiling works were carried out .
Facilities for the Disabled To provide facilities for the disabled , new ramp structures and toilets for the disabled were constructed . In doing so , several walls were hacked and repositioned to create the toilets . At the entrance to the public gallery situated at the rear of the Main Block , a pneumatic lift for the disabled was constructed by hacking the existing floor slabs to allow the installation of a glass wall lift .
New toilets at the Grandstand Initially the Grandstand building had no toilets . The nearest toilet from the Grandstand was at the Tower Block where one had to take the lift to the upper floors as there were no toilets on the ground floor . During official events , portable toilets were provided near the parade ground . In the year 2002 , new toilets were added at the parade ground on the east side and a few years later on the west side . The construction of the toilets involved massive hacking of the existing Grandstand building ’ s ground slabs and digging across roads to lay and connect new in-coming water supply pipes and out-going sewerage pipes to the nearest manhole .
Renovation and Refurbishment Works Other than repair works to fix damage mostly caused by leakages and termite attacks , the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara were renovated and refurbished to cater for the delineation of boundaries . Other areas in the entire Main Block and Tower Block including the lobby , cafeteria , library , Administration Office and Speakers Office were also refurbished .
74 VOL 86 APRIL-JUNE 2021